"Without St John's Ambulance at Bridgwater we would have missed out on so much"

Having looked after my mum who had vascular dementia for 5 yrs and dementia for the previous 5 yrs, I found in the early days that I did not have very much support. I must say it was only through having a senior social worker and myself following up leads that I was able to have direct control on having the care at home. This was a great help for mum and my situations. Without joining St John's Carers Participation Groups and monthly carers day, I would not have found all the information I required. I would like to point out to you that the St John's Ambulance at Bridgwater were great and without them I would have missed out on so much. Sadly mum passed away on Christmas Day, she just drifted away at home. The services on the day were very good, including the helicopter service.

Responses

This story was submitted to Patient Opinion by the Somerset LINk, on behalf of a Somerset patient who has contacted us as part of our 'Patient Stories' project. We will be keeping a record of all stories submitted, and all responses from providers.

Thanks very much to the person who submitted this story. I'm very sorry for the loss of your mum. Support for carers is an issue that is often raised by local people, and we know that Somerset County Council and NHS Somerset are currently planning a new service that will provide support for carers all across Somerset.

I'm glad that you found St. John Ambulance services for carers so helpful. I will pass this information back to them.